Mazda to Roll Out More Efficient Skyactiv 2 Engines

Since 2011, Mazda has made huge gains in fuel economy with the introduction of its Skyactiv direct injection, high output engines. This technology, which has debuted on the Mazda3, CX-5, and Mazda6, has helped the company so much as to make it the most fuel efficient automaker in the U.S. And now comes word that Mazda will soon roll out a new generation of Skyactiv 2 technologies to boost fuel economy even further, according to a report from Automotive News.The new gasoline Mazda Skyactiv 2 engines will achieve 30-percent greater fuel efficiency than current Skyactiv technologies, according to the report. Fuel economy gains will come from ratcheting up the compression ratio from today's 14:1, which Mazda says is already the world's highest, with a technology known as high-compression combustion ignition (HCCI). By achieving an even higher compression ratio of 18:1--the pressure inside the car's cylinders--Mazda will be able to achieve the necessary high temperatures for combustion while burning less fuel. Specifically, parts of the new Skyactiv 2 technology will compress fuel-air mixture to such a high pressure and temperature that it ignites by itself with no help from a spark, much like the way diesel engines work.
While the current Skyactiv engines operate with a compression ratio of 14:1, between 10:1 and 12:1 are what most automakers' gasoline engines operate at. Both General Motors and Hyundai have also publicly stated that they are experimenting with HCCI technologies.According to Mazda powertrain chief Mitsuo Hitomi, speaking to Automotive News, Mazda needs the technology to meet harsher carbon dioxide emissions standards in Europe. There are also plans underway for Skyactiv 3, which may help to comply with even stricter 2025 standards. Still, Mazda has not given an official release date for the new Mazda Skyactiv technologies.Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)

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